Will they get In?

The 2012 NFL season is winding down and the playoff picture is becoming clearer every week.  Last week I discussed the AFC/NFC South picture.  This week we will discuss the improving AFC/NFC West conference playoff picture.  We will go into remaining schedules and predictions.

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs: The NFL can certainly change quickly.  The Chiefs were the AFC West 2010 Champs.  In 2011, injuries have decimated this team and now their HC Todd Haley was recently fired.  I think Haley is a good OC, but not a good HC.  He lacks the ability to remain consistent in his day to day approach.  Injuries were a huge detriment this season with season ending injuries to Matt Cassell, Jamal Charles, Tony Moeaki, and Eric Berry.  That is a lot of talent on the IR.  Currently at 5-8 they are not mathematically out of the playoffs but they are not going to make it in this year.   They play the Packers and the Raiders at home before going to enver.  At best the Chiefs will finish 6-10 and a good chance of improving next year.

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Will they Get In? AFC/NFC West Playoff Picture: The John Skelton Dilemma - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

If you haven’t, you might need to wake up.

After starting the season 1-4, things were not looking good for the Denver Broncos. Fans were wondering if the team could even match its record from 2010, when the Broncos went 4-12.

Then, Tim Tebow entered the picture, and the Broncos figured, “What the heck? Let’s get the fans off our back and show them that this guy doesn’t have what it takes.”

Now, eight games later, Tebow has made believers out of not only head coach John Fox, but front office executive John Elway and the rest of Denver Broncos management. Even Broncos owner Pat Bowlen sees the greatness in Tebow:

“He’s a quarterback, and believe me he’s going to learn. I believe he’ll be a great one. Better keep him around.”

And if you have been listening to anything I have said the last two-and-a-half years, you’d know that I feel the same.

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Tim Tebow is Here to Stay: Broncos Have a Franchise Quarterback - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

Oakland currently leads this maniacally convoluted division in the race to being the least mediocre team west of the Mississippi, but that doesn’t really hold much sway with 7 games to go for each team. Denver has managed not to get too bogged down in the Tebow hype and by hook and crook have matched their win total from last year. Going back to the Left Coast, the Chargers have completely stalled out. The Philip Rivers doppelganger that has been floating pick sixes to his opponents has brashly put his name in the hat for flop of the year and one is left to wonder if this is Norv Turner’s final final stand. Finally, the Chiefs have done little to consistently inspire confidence in their play; this futility is best highlighted by last Sunday’s game, where the Broncos called a running play almost 90% of the time and still won. I’m going to attempt to break down the rest of the slate for each team as well as analyze the current talent situation for all four squads in hope of divining the eventual champion of the Always F***ing Crazy West division.

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The Ridiculousness of the AFC West - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

If you’ve been listening to any sports talk, watching ESPN or NFL Network, you’ve been hearing things like the Broncos offense was “abysmal” and Tebow specifically was an “F as a quarterback” according to people like Trent Dilfer. Yes, the Broncos played some bad football in the first three quarters, but to say that Tebow was “abysmal” is a bit of a stretch.

The Broncos did move the ball in the first half, well enough to set up two Matt Prater field goals from 49 and 43 yards, both of which were missed. They did that with Tim Tebow attempting a mere five passes in the entire first half.

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Tim Tebow’s First Start Ends on a High Note–And For Now, That’s All That Matters - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

Aside from an embarrassing road loss to the Packers last week, the Broncos have actually not been all that bad for a team that just picked 2nd in the draft this past April. Still, it’s extremely disappointing to see these guys come out and lose games because of mistakes they could have avoided.

You almost don’t mind when a team like the Packers comes out and just shows you who’s boss, but when your team shoots itself in the foot repeatedly, it gets frustrating to say the least.

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What to Watch For: Denver Broncos vs. San Diego Chargers - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

The Beast known as VonDoom shall be unleashed in Green Bay on Sunday

I am not one to make bold predictions, because I hate the feedback I get if I am wrong, but I have been saying all week that the Broncos would beat the Green Bay Packers on the road, whether you think that’s crazy or not.

As a fan, you typically get this feeling leading up to a game. Typically when I am really nervous, I feel like my team is going to lose or has a really tough road to victory. Sometimes that intuition proves wrong, and sometimes not.

The other feeling I get is really one where I don’t feel anything. My heartbeat doesn’t pickup when I think of the game, and I can honestly look at the matchup and say, “We can win this game.” That being said, I have had that feeling all week about the Broncos vs. the Packers, and I think it either means I think they will win or I think they will get blown out. Those seem to be the two general feelings out there right now, so I’m going to go ahead and go against the grain and pick the Broncos to win.

What to watch for?

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What to Watch For: Denver Broncos vs. Green Bay Packers - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

Someone Forgot to Tell Cam Newton That He's not Playing on Saturday's Anymore. It Ain't This Easy

NFLmocks isn’t your typical recap because we focus on what the young players in the league are doing. Michael Vick had a big day, but so what he’s old news. How’d the Young guys do? I consider the young guys mostly rookies and second year players. Occasionally, I’ll throw in a third year guy.  I’ll concentrate on a few games, and try to do quick tid bits of the others.

Everyone can see talent. Cam Newton has talent. People though are skeptical of what they haven’t seen before. Players like Cam Newton, that is insanely athletic players who don’t come from traditional offenses in College, and who don’t make a lot of reads and go through progressions are the Holy Grail in Football. The possibilities are endless, but the failures are a mile long. Cam Newton had these questions and many more heading into the 2011 N.F.L. draft. Is he smart enough? Is he enough of a leader? Can he be accurate in the N.F.L. It’s much too early to make a definitive statement one way or the other, but today was Cam Newton’s day.

Carolina Panthers vs Arizona Cardinals

Panthers

Newton set a N.F.L. record today when he became the first player to ever throw for 400 yards in their first N.F.L. game. Newton’s line looks brilliant. 24 for 37 for 422 yards and 2 touchdowns (11.4 yards per attempt). Newton also chipped in 18 rushing yards (in 8 attempts) and a touchdown.

His line was impressive and at times Newton was very impressive, but it might be slightly misleading. Newton had some VERY wide open throws, but you can’t take that away from him. He’ll have to continue to show that he can make the proper reads, and make the nice pass. Newton was also playing against a defense that is less than spectacular, but a rookie debut on the road in a divisional game? The only thing that would have been better is if the Cardinals hadn’t won he game. I liked Newton heading into the draft and he was the only quarterback we had rated in the first round.

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Cam Newton Shines vs Arizona Cardinals: Opening Day Thoughts on Rookies Around the League - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

Von Miller, Linebacker

Those who said the Broncos’ selecting Miller was a mis-fit are flat out idiots. Good defensive coaches know how to use elite defensive players. If the Broncos could go back and draft Clay Matthews, theres no way they would pass on him because he’s better fit as a rush linebacker in the 3-4. Von Miller is a superstar in the making, and should be a perennial pro bowler, perhaps starting this year.

It’s clear that the Broncos plan on using Miller mostly as a pass rusher. They feel comfortable with their linebacker rotation at this point, as well as a nickel package where they substitute Wesley Woodyard in for D.J. Williams, and bring in Cassius Vaughn (CB) for Joe Mays (MLB). The Broncos then play Miller in sort of a hybrid position at the line of scrimmage, and they kick Robert Ayers inside to play defensive tackle.

The result? Well, Miller was all over Ryan Fitzpatrick last night, both from the strong side and the weak side, and he showed his exceptional 4.4 speed is not limited to the 40 yard dash. He makes offensive linemen look like statues. The Broncos got a really good one in Von Miller, and you can bet Dennis Allen will find ways to make him an impact player.

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Denver Broncos Rookies Shine in Home Opener Against Buffalo - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

Tamba Hali is now one of the richest players in the NFL

Kansas City Chiefs

Grade: A

• Re-signed DE/OLB Tamba Hali
• Signed LB Brandon Siler
• Signed WR Steve Breaston
• Signed FB Le’Ron McClain
• Re-signed C Casey Wiegmann

The Chiefs’ biggest move came late Wednesday night when they signed veteran pass rusher Tamba Hali, one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. Hali signed a $60 million contract worth $35 million guaranteed. This signing bumped the Chiefs’ grade up a full letter, as making Hali a priority was essential for the team’s immediate future.

The other two moves I really like are the signings of Le’Ron McClain at fullback and Steve Breaston at wide receiver. A Chiefs’ wide receiver group that includes Dwayne Bowe, Jon Baldwin, and now Steve Breaston is much better than any receiver group they have had in recent history.

Adding Le’Ron McClain to the running game gives this team a really tough, hard-nosed presence at the fullback position. McClain knows what it is like to help lead one of the NFL’s most feared rushing attacks, and not only is he a good blocker, he is a pretty good short-yardage back.

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AFC West Free Agency Grades: Oakland Raiders Huge Losers in Free Agency - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

If a trade goes down, it remains to be seen what the Broncos would receive as compensation for Orton from the Dolphins, but reports vary everywhere from a first to a third round pick. Most likely, the two sides will meet somewhere in the middle. If the Dolphins offer a third round pick for Orton, I expect they will also add a conditional future pick, or possibly a second pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

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Report: Kyle Orton Talking Contract With Dolphins, Robert Gallery Close With Seahawks? - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football